Melonpool
Mitt Romney 30,015 24.6%
Rick Santorum 30,007 24.5%
Ron Paul 26,219 21.4%
Newt Gingrich 16,251 13.3%
Rick Perry 12,604 10.3%
Michele Bachmann 6,073 5%
Jon Huntsman 745 0.6%
After the caucus, Bachmann has dropped out of the race entirely. Perry said he was going to reassess, and then (apparently) decided to stay in and try to do well in South Carolina.
However, there are some interesting facts out of the caucus. Estimates for delegates coming out of Iowa put Romney, Santorum, and Paul tied with 7 delegates each - the other 7 divided up among the next three. While this is the case, early indications are that Paul was more able to get his supporters to volunteer for the next level conventions, which could give him a bump in actual delegates to the Republican convention in the end (and all Iowa delegates are "unpledged" there, in any case). I also think his momentum from such a close third in what was essentially a state-wide straw poll can help him moving forward.
In addition, Santorum has had trouble with getting any steam going outside of Iowa, and his success in Iowa is mostly due to his direct efforts, which cannot work as well for later states. Plus, he has yet to be vetted by the media yet, and has a few rather "unconservative" things in his record.
Next: New Hampshire, January 10. Thoughts? Predictions? Hopes? Personally, I think Romney will get in the mid-30's, and Paul will do better than expected with a close second. I don't think Santorum's surge in Iowa will continue - especially with only Romney and Paul on the ballot in Virginia.
Frédéric Bastiat wrote:And now that the legislators and do-gooders have so futilely inflicted so many systems upon society, may they finally end where they should have begun: May they reject all systems, and try liberty; for liberty is an acknowledgment of faith in God and His works.
Count Axel Oxenstierna wrote:Dost thou not know, my son, with how little wisdom the world is governed?
